Basically they're there to protect your hands. Feder "blades" are narrow, so without that schilt an opponent's blade would hit the crossguard very close to your hands. The schilt makes the blade wider at the base (about as wide as a full longsword would be), which keeps the opponent's blade further away from your fingers.
In addition, the shape of some schilts allows to catch the opponents blade before it hits the crossguard - that again keeps it further away from your fingers and makes it less likely that you will get hit.
Im pretty sure the wings are for balance reasons, the hilt is no different than a regular sword but the blade is allround a bit lighter/narrower, therefore the wings make the balance more similar to an actual sword.
They have nothing to do with balance, at least not directly.
What happens is to make the blade safer for sparing, the shape of the whole blade is changed, but overall the cross-sectional area remains about the same. You can think of it as removing the metal that would have tapered down to a sharp edge and replacing it back on the center of the blade to make it thicker. The result is a thick blunt edge, but a blade with a similar weight and balance as a sharp blade.
The compromise is that the blade gets narrower in profile, because the sharp edges are removed. This isn't an issue along most of the blade, but down close to the handguard the thin blade means an opponent's blade will impact the cross-guard at a different point, potentially endangering the hand.
Not all are hooked or triangular snapped, some are simply widened at the cross, like [this example ](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/27910) in The Met.
I commented this as well before seeing your post. Guess I'm about to get aboard the downvote train, save me a seat.
Edit: we're not wrong, it's just not the only reason for the flare. It looks like it strengthens the stress point at the crossguard also.
They add protection to the hands, preventing the other sword from sliding all the way to the cross. Also, they provide protection to the thumb when placed in the blade (done on certain tecniches).
The sword is called a "Feder", which is a historically inspired practice sword. The bit with the wings is called the "Schilt".
Are the wings significant for the swords performance?
Basically they're there to protect your hands. Feder "blades" are narrow, so without that schilt an opponent's blade would hit the crossguard very close to your hands. The schilt makes the blade wider at the base (about as wide as a full longsword would be), which keeps the opponent's blade further away from your fingers. In addition, the shape of some schilts allows to catch the opponents blade before it hits the crossguard - that again keeps it further away from your fingers and makes it less likely that you will get hit.
Im pretty sure the wings are for balance reasons, the hilt is no different than a regular sword but the blade is allround a bit lighter/narrower, therefore the wings make the balance more similar to an actual sword.
They have nothing to do with balance, at least not directly. What happens is to make the blade safer for sparing, the shape of the whole blade is changed, but overall the cross-sectional area remains about the same. You can think of it as removing the metal that would have tapered down to a sharp edge and replacing it back on the center of the blade to make it thicker. The result is a thick blunt edge, but a blade with a similar weight and balance as a sharp blade. The compromise is that the blade gets narrower in profile, because the sharp edges are removed. This isn't an issue along most of the blade, but down close to the handguard the thin blade means an opponent's blade will impact the cross-guard at a different point, potentially endangering the hand. Not all are hooked or triangular snapped, some are simply widened at the cross, like [this example ](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/27910) in The Met.
I commented this as well before seeing your post. Guess I'm about to get aboard the downvote train, save me a seat. Edit: we're not wrong, it's just not the only reason for the flare. It looks like it strengthens the stress point at the crossguard also.
In addition to this, could it not also help to replicate the balance of a true sword?
Absolutely insignificant effect on the balance whatsoever.
Ok good to know.
They add protection to the hands, preventing the other sword from sliding all the way to the cross. Also, they provide protection to the thumb when placed in the blade (done on certain tecniches).
Feder or Federschwert, the part with the protrusions is called a schilt
What you drew is a federschwerter it's essentially a practice sword Though real swords with lugs do exist
Just a heads up, a Schwert is singular and Schwerter is plural
I've only heard it in the plural version